Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was last night and I absolutely LOVED it!  There were a lot of hits...and maybe a few misses...but all in all it was phenomenal.  Here are a few of my favorite looks.

My absolute favorite section was "Ballet".  I think it probably has something to do with the years I spent as a ballerina, but I cannot resist a good tutu!

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This right here was my favorite look of the night.  It's got the perfect amount of sparkle and embellishment without looking gaudy.

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I loved this look for similar reasons...it got extra points for the gorgeous color

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And of course, the Pink section was whimsical, fun, and over the top like you always expect it to be.

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I'm not gonna lie though...there were 2 sections that I really wasn't feeling.  The Super Hero lingerie made the models look like bad cartoon characters.  NOT CUTE

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I was also really not feeling the "I Put a Spell on You" section.  I thought some of this lingerie actually looked frumpy.

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And how can we not talk about the music?  Maroon 5, Kanye, Jay-Z, and Nicki Minaj all killed it!  They delivered the perfect high energy performances.  I did think some of the runway music was a bit off.  The slow boring song they chose for the "Passion" section was all wrong.  It should have been something sultry and upbeat!

Did you watch the fashion show?  What looks did you love and what looks did you hate?

*All images are from CBS.com*

Mary Kay Loot

This took me forever to get around to but waaay back in September, I won PinkLouLou's Mary Kay giveaway!  I just adore that girl and who doesn't love make up and skincare products...it was the perfect giveaway for me to win!

With the big move back to DC, I had the package shipped to my parents' house and I finally picked it up earlier this month.  It is full of great stuff and there isn't a single product that I've tried that I haven't loved.

Mary Kay by lwood15 on polyvore.com

1.Timewise Night Solution 2. Satin Lip Balm and Mask 3. Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover 4. Timewise Age Fighting Moisturizer 5. Timewise Day Solution Sunscreen 6. Timewise 3 in 1 Cleanser

I've always loved trying out new products so I've been spoiling myself with all these goodies.  The Satin Lip Balm is my favorite right now...it leaves my lips so unbelievably soft!  I've also been enjoying the anti-aging products.  I'm always reading that you should start an anti-aging routine while you're in your early 20s so this has been the perfect opportunity to start...this girl does not want wrinkles!

I hope you all have lovely Tuesdays...especially since this is the GREATEST day of the year.  The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is tonight!!

Weekend Wrap Up: Thanksgiving Edition

Thursday

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In an attempt to save a few bucks, I flew home on Thanksgiving morning instead of the night before.  It was actually kinda nice to travel on Thanksgiving...the airports were much calmer than on the Wednesday before!  Thanksgiving itself was a tough day to get through.  It felt so strange not to have my dad there to sneak candies with before dinner, to make everyone laugh with his stories, and to watch football with in the afternoon.

Friday

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Two of my best friends from high school came over on Friday night for some vino and some gossip.  I always love seeing those girls...no matter how long it's been since we've seen each other, it's always like we've never been apart!  The conversation flows perfectly and there's always plenty of laughter.  Do you have friends like that?

Saturday

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On Saturday I got roped into helping my mom, aunt, and cousin rake leaves.  This princess is not cut out for manual labor!  It's days later and I'm STILL sore.  Plus, I have one ugly blister on my hand.

Monday

I'm skipping over Sunday and going right to Cyber Monday....I made out like a bandit.  Besides a couple of boxes of chocolate from Fleurir Chocolates, I finished all of my Christmas shopping!  And I also scored a little something for myself...this gorgeous dress for New Year's!  Did you get any great bargains this year?

Stuff I Like: Thanksgiving Edition

1. Mashed Potatoes

Hands down, mashed potatoes are my favorite Thanksgiving Food!  They're so delicious and I always top mine with a little bit of gravy.

2. Board Games

Board games are a Thanksgiving tradition in my family.  This year we're going to give Sour Apples to Apples a try.  I hope it's as fun as the original!

3. Stuffing

Stuffing is my second favorite Thanksgiving food.  I fee like I never eat it except on Thanksgiving so I always look at it as a special treat.

4. Naps

Is there anything better than stretching out on the couch after stuffing your face with a turkey dinner?  I don't think so.

5. Football

And of course...what Thanksgiving Day is complete without watching the game?

I hope you all indulge in all the things you like over Thanksgiving!

The Grapple

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A few weeks ago I read an article about grapples on MSN and ever since I've been obsessed with the idea of trying one!  Grapples are grape flavored apples...that's right GRAPE FLAVORED APPLES.  It sounds wrong and unnatural and absolutely delicious all at the same time.  Hopefully I can get my hands on one soon!

Are there any foods you've been dying to try?

Stuff I Like

1. Hot Buttered Rum

The girls down the hall came over for to chat on Monday night and brought a tray full of hot buttered rum with them.  I'd never tried it before but it was delicious!  I think I've officially found my new holiday drink.  Check out the recipe here.

2. Hell on Wheels

Has anyone else been watching this new show on AMC?  I have been absolutely LOVING Hell on Wheels so far.  It's got a little romance, lots of drama, revenge plots, and a down and dirty Western vibe. It is a tad violent but I think it needs to be to translate the danger of the Wild West.  I can't wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds!

3. Hope in a Jar

With the change in the weather, it's getting to be that time of year where my skin constantly feels dry and miserable.  While it's not too hard to find a body moisturizer, finding something to use on your face is always much more difficult.  I was thrilled when I discovered Philosophy's Hope in a Jar!  It goes on unbelievably light, isn't greasy at all, and leaves my skin feeling hydrated.

4. Voila Pasta

I've had a lot of after work events this week and haven't had much time to cook but I HATE eating take out.  This week I've been opting for Voila skillet meals.  They're cheaper than take out, aren't loaded with calories, and are pretty tasty for coming out of the frozen food aisle.  I'm definitely going to make sure I always keep one in the freezer for nights that I don't have time to cook.

5. Unicef Christmas Cards

I had my heart set on sending out perfectly preppy Vera Bradley Christmas Cards this season but my mother made me feel guilty about spending so much money on them.  Instead, I opted for UNICEF Christmas Cards.  In the holiday spirit, they both spread joy to your friends and family and help children throughout the world.  Plus, they do have some gorgeous designs!

A New Normal

It's been almost 2 weeks since I lost my dad and it still doesn't feel real.  I still expect it to be him when my phone rings, I want to call him after the Patriots make a great play, and when something exciting happens I still think "I can't wait to tell dad about this".

I've been overwhelmed by the out pouring of support from others.  Friends I hadn't seen in 5 years showed up at my house, we were constantly surrounded my relatives, and the neighbors made sure we had plenty to eat.  When I arrived back in DC there was even a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my coworkers in NYC waiting on my kitchen table.  And how can I not mention all the sweet emails and comments from the blog world.

Now it's time to get back into my normal routine.  A new normal routine that doesn't include daily lunch time chats with my dad.  But getting back into the office, cooking dinner every night, and now getting back into blogging are helping me.  Life is going to be different but it's going to continue to happen.  It might take some time but I'm going to be ok.

May Angels Lead You In

I've been reluctant to blog too much about this but I feel like it's time.  After battling stomach cancer for the past few months, my dad is down to his last few days with us.  My dad's always been my absolute best friend so this has been a really rough few weeks for me.

It's hard to imagine getting married someday and not having him there to walk me down the aisle and to not have him there to meet his grandchildren.  It's even worse to know he'll never be there for another Christmas, camping trip, or Sunday afternoon football game.

I'm going to try to keep blogging since it's a little bright spot in my life right now.  It helps take my mind off of things a bit.  But, there's a good chance I'll be a bit MIA over the next few weeks.  I hope you keep following along when I return.

Weekend Wrap Up: Halloween Edition

Friday

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On Friday we celebrated one of my very very good friend's birthday with happy hour at Nooshi and followed it up with a few glasses of wine at Science Club.  I always enjoy going to Science Club!  It's got a really mellow vibe, the drinks aren't too expensive, and the food is delicious!  I unfortunately am on a serious budget (damn you Erin Condren planner!) and had to eat dinner at home before we went out (and maybe snuck grapes out of my purse during happy hour...it's fine....no judging) but I still enjoyed myself.

Saturday

Two Halloweens ago we went on the Nightmare on M Street bar crawl and had a blast!  We decided to go for it again this year and had just as much fun.  Since it was SNOWING out, I had to come up with an emergency back up costume plan.  It was waaaaay too cold for the mini dress my prisoner costume involved...so I threw on my Wes Welker jersey (with long sleeves underneath haha), drew some lines under my eyes with eyeliner, put on some shorts, and was a football player.  Super lazy but super cute.

We started out our night at James Hoban's (always one of my favorite Nightmare on M Street spots) and then wandered over the Mad Hatter for a bit of dancing.  I was feeling tired and left the bar a little bit early...and that's when things got crazy.  While walking to the metro, I ran into some Silver Snakes from Legends of the Hidden Temple and had the following conversation:

Snakes: Why are you going home?
Me: I'm tired.
Snakes: You should come have a drink with us.
Me: No.  I'm going home.
Snakes: But you're so pretty.
Me: Ok then!

So I ended up at Front Page with the Silver Snakes....and it was AWESOME.

Sunday

As always, we went to Murphys to watch the Pats.  It was a very sad sad game but it was a great group of people to go with!  Ana and her fiance met us for brunch (surf and turf eggs benedict...yummm!) and it was wonderful to catch up with them...they are one of the nicest couples I know!  After they left, a few friends from home joined us and one of my new Twitter friends.  Everyone got along great so it was definitely a success!